Bishop Neumann School in Wahoo
Students in grades 7-12 at Bishop Neumann in Wahoo had all-class retreats Monday, Oct. 30.
Each retreat focused on a specific theme and included various speakers, service projects, adoration, Mass, and time for confession.
The goal of the retreat day is to expose students to some of the beautiful places within the diocese and the surrounding area, giving students time away from school to encounter the Lord.
Seventh-graders went to the Holy Family Shrine near Gretna for Mass. The Holy Family Shrine was built in 1997 to create a place off Interstate 80 for travelers to pray and discover the Catholic faith. Some refer to this Shrine as the ‘glass chapel’ as it is encased in glass.
After spending the morning there, the seventh-graders traveled to St. Mary Parish in Ashland, where they listened to Bishop Neumann graduate Katherine Sousek speak about the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Service was the theme of the eighth-grade class retreat. The students spent the morning volunteering at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska in Lincoln. Students then went to Sacred Heart Church in Lincoln for confessions and adoration, and ended the day at the Carmelite convent near Agnew for Mass. Tim and Cindy Ecoff, caretakers of the convent, shared their experiences and talked with students about the Carmelite life.
The freshman class spent the morning in service at Open Door Mission in Omaha. Students sorted clothes, helped prepare lunch, and ate with guests. They were also given a tour of the facility by Krystal, a graduate of the mission who is now employed there. After lunch, students were bussed to Boys Town and given a tour of Dowd Chapel. The day concluded with Mass there.
The sophomore retreat was held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly. The theme centered on having the courage to “be yourself.” Scotty Sullivan, campus minister at Pius X High School in Lincoln, spoke in the morning, followed by two of the Marian Sisters in the afternoon.
Another important highlight for the Bishop Neumann students was being able to eat lunch and spend time with the students from Villa Marie School for Exceptional Children in Waverly. Villa Marie School is located near the retreat house and is a school for students in need of special education services.
Juniors and seniors spent their retreat day at two different Newman Centers with the goal of exposing them to the places available to them in college. The juniors were in Omaha at the St. John Paul II Newman Center, and the seniors were in Lincoln at the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center. Each retreat was designed with the idea of helping students carry on their faith in college and beyond.
Juniors listened to nurse practitioner Teresa Kenney and Jonathan Wotipka, the youth minister of St. Patrick Church in Gretna, speak about their identity in Christ. A panel of Bishop Neumann alumni who attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha was also available to answer questions and help with small group discussions, including Lily Spangler, Allison Blum, Dawson Hiemstra, Jordan Hiemstra, and Lydia Schoeneck.
Seniors listened to Scott Hartman, senior director of national training services at Boys Town, speak about some his experiences there. He also shared his wisdom in staying close to Jesus and making the faith one’s own.
Students also had time for a question and answer session with Father Alec Sasse, chaplain of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, alumna Catherine Haberman, as well as several other University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries. Students spent time in adoration and ended the day with Mass in the Newman Chapel.
